Work supporting bed for sewing machines



o 1967 J. szosTAK ETAL- 3,344,762

WORK SUPPORTING BED FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Jan Szosfak WITNESS Norman E .Zacher TTORNE Y Manfred R. Laidig Oct. 3,1967 J. SZOSTAK ETAL 3,344,762

WORK SUPPORTING BED FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r INVENTOR-S '20 Jan Szosfak WITNESS V v Manfred R. LOIdIg Norman E. Zacher //;a%

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,344,762 WORK SUPPGRTIN G BED FOR SEWING MACHINES Jan Szostak, Linden, Manfred R. Laidig, Whippany, and

Norman E. Zacher, Livingston, NJ., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 10, 1965, Ser. No. 462,798 8 Claims. (Cl. 112260) This invention relates to work supporting beads for sewing machines, and more particularly, to a sewing machine work supporting bed construction which is readily convertible between a fiat bed adapted to support planar work panels and a cylinder bed adapted to accommodate tubular work pieces.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sewing machine work supporting bed or casing construction in which all of the parts and devices necessary for conversion to either fiat bed or cylinder bed configuration remain permanently attached to the sewing machine casrng.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a novel articulated work supporting platform which may be retracted onto a supporting leg of the machine casing to expose the cylinder bed or extended from the supporting leg into a position against and substantially flush with the top of the cylinder bed to provide for fiat bed con-figuration.

With the above and additional objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a sewing machine casing having one form of this invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged and elevational view of the sewing machine casing illustrated in FIG. 1 with portions broken away to illustrate the hinge and latching device for the retractable work supporting platform,

FIG. 3 represents a bottom perspective view of the retractable work supporting platform of FIGS. 1 and 2 includin the hinges therefor, and with the latch plunger and plunger spring detached,

FIG. 4 represents a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2 particularly illustrating the latch seat formed in the cylinder bed,

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of a portion of a sewing machine casing showing a modified form of this invention with a work supporting platform illustrated in extended position providing for a fiat bed configuration in FIG. with the work supporting platform partially retracted in FIG. 6; and with the work supporting platform fully retracted providing for cylinder bed configuration in FIG. 7,

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective View of the modified form of this invention illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7,

FIG. 9 represents an enlarged nonsectional view taken substantially along line 9-9 of FIG. 5 and FIG. 10 represents an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along line 1010 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the bed portion of a sewing machine casing including a base 11 from which extends a freely projecting cylinder bed 12 formed with a work supporting surface 13. The cylinder bed 12 is fitted with a throat plate 14 formed with a needle aperture 15 and feed dog slots 16, as Well as a slide cover plate 17 which may be retracted to expose a conventional loop taker ,(not shown) in the cylslot 22 between the supporting leg 21 and the cylinder 3,344,762 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 inder bed. The loop taker cooperates in the formationof stitches with a needle 18 which reciprocates through the needle aperture as is well known in the sewing machine art, and a feed dog 19 which works in the slots 16 in the throat plate is opposed by a conventional presser device 24 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The sewing machine casing also includes a supporting leg 21 which extends from the base 11 in substantially parallel spaced relation to the cylinder bed 12 to define an elongated open-ended slot 22 therebetween. Preferably the supporting leg 21 is formed with a top surface 23 which is substantially co-planar with the Work supporting surface 13 of the cylinder bed, and the supporting leg is also formed with sidewalls 24 and 25. Cushion mem- 'bers may be secured beneath the base 11 and beneath the supporting leg 21 upon which cushion members the sewing machine rests when placed upon any table top or other flat surface. When thus sustained on a table top, the cylinder bed 12 extends vertically spaced above the table top and is thus suitable for the accommodation of tubular work pieces.

In order to convert the sewing machine casing from a configuration suitable for accommodating tubular work pieces into a flat bed configuration, a platform 30 is provided which preferably has a shape substantially congruent with that of the edges of the elongated open-ended bed, The platform 30 is formed with a flat work supporting top surface 31, and is shiftable supported by means of a hinged connection with the supporting arm 21 for movement into and out of a work supporting position as illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the top surface 31 is substantially flush or co-planar with the work supporting surface 13 of the cylinder bed 12 and the platform 30 rests against the cylinder bed. The hinged connection is provided by a pair of lugs 32 which project from the under side of the platform 30, each lug carrying a hinge pin 33. Secured beneath the supporting leg top surface 23 as by screws 34 are a pair of hinge plates 35 each formed with a socket 36 accommodating one of the hinge pins 33.

A releasable latch means is provided for sustaining the platform in work supporting position'as viewed in FIG. 2. Preferably the latch means includes intergaging latch elements carried on the platform 30 and on the dates a coil spring 45 in the counterbore and which protrudes from the opposite side of the boss.

Secured as by a set screw 46 to the small diameter portion 44 of the plunger is a handle member 47 which depends beneath the platform 30 and is formed with a flat top surface 48 which abuts the under side of the platform so as to prevent the plunger from turning in the counterbore 41 and to locate the nose 43 inclined downwardly.

The boss 40 adjacent to the counterbore 41 is formed with a projection 49 having a flat upper surface 50 disposed parallel to the top work supporting surface 31 of the platform 30.

The cylinder bed 12, to cooperate with the projection 49 and the nose 43 of the plunger, is formed with an L-shaped latch seat 60 facing the elongated open-ended slot 22 between the cylinder bed and the supporting arm. A vertical limb 61 of the latch seat accommodates the projection 49 and terminates in an abutment surface 62 parallel to the work supporting surface 13 of the cylinder bed against which the upper surface 50 of the projection 49 abuts in the work supporting position of the platform 30. A horizontal limb 63 of the latch seat accommodates the nose 43 of the plunger in the work supporting position of the platform as illustrated in FIG. 2 and constrains the platform in this elevated position.

When the platform 30 is turned into work supporting position by the sewing machine operator, the inclined nose 43 of the plunger and the coil spring 45 will permit the latch surfaces on the platform and on the cylinder bed to seat without further attention by the operator, and the sewing machine casing will thus assume a configuration suitable for the sewing of flat fabric panels.

In order to retract the platform 30 to ready the machine to accommodate tubular work, the operator need only shift the handle 47 in a direction away from the cylinder bed 12. In so doing the inclined nose 43 of the plunger will be retracted in opposition to the coil spring 45 free of the horizontal limb 53 of the latch seat 50 and the platform can be turned or will drop by gravity into a position illustrated in FIG. 1 and shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 against the sidewall 24 of the supporting leg and with the work supporting surface 31 of the platform substantially perpendicular to the work-supporting surface 13 of the cylinder bed.

The sidewall 24 of the supporting leg 21 is formed with a cavity 70 into which the handle 47, the boss 40, as well as the plunger nose 43 and the projection 49 are accommodated in the retracted position of the platform 30. The platform 30 may thus assume a retracted position closely adjacent to the supporting leg sidewall 24 so as not materially to decrease the space made available by the elongated open-ended slot 22 for manipulation of tubular fabric articles on the cylinder bed.

FIGS. through illustrate a modified form of this invention in which a work supporting platform 100 is slidably supported for movement into an extended position as illustrated in FIG. 5 converting the sewing machine casing into fiat bed configuration, or into a retracted position as illustrated in FIG. 7 converting the sewing machine easing into cylinder bed configuration.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5-10 a cylinder bed of the machine casing is indicated at 110 and provided with a work supporting surface 111. Extending parallel to the cylinder bed is a machine supporting leg 120 so as to define between the leg 121 and the cylinder bed an elongated open-ended slot 121 in which a tubular work piece may be accommodated as it is placed on the cylinder bed. The supporting leg is recessed at the top to three different levels beneath the plane of the work supporting surface 111 of the cylinder bed. As best illustrated in FIG. 8 the entire top of the leg 120 is recessed to a first level 122 beneath that of the cylinder bed corresponding to the thickness of the work supporting platform 100 and this machine cut preferably extends into the machine casing between the supporting leg and cylinder bed to provide a shelf 123 lending additional support to the work supporting platform when it occupies an extended position as illustrated in FIG. 5.

A recess 124 to the second level beneath that of the top of the cylinder bed is cut transversely across the supporting leg 120. At each side of the recess 124 is secured a leveled gib 125 together defining a slideway for the work supporting platform.

A recess 126 to the third and deepest level beneath that of the top of the cylinder bed is formed lengthwise of the supporting leg closely adjacent to the sidewall of the supporting leg remote from the cylinder bed and providing a relatively thin upstanding wall 127 extending from this sidewall. The recess 126 is formed near each extremity with lateral extensions 128 in the direction of the cylinder bed. At or near the middle of the recess 126 is formed an additional extension 129 in the direction of the cylinder bed and a lateral extension 130 4 I in the opposite direction and through the upstanding wall 127. The formation of the supporting leg to accommodate the mechanism of this invention is completed by the provision of spaced fluid bores 131 formed vertically in the leg in the recess 126.

Accommodated in the recess 126 is a release plate 140 beneath which are secured two fiat spring metal strips 141 which extend laterally from the release plate and are received one in each of the lateral extensions 128 of the recess 126. A pair of coil springs 142 accommodated one in each of the bores 131 bear against the underside of the release plate 140 and urge the release plate upwardly.

The work supporting platform which may in the upper surface be formed with finger grip depressions 150 has secured beneath the under surface a beveled guide plate 151 which engages and is guided in rectilinear movement by the beveled gibs on the supporting leg. Depending beneath the guide plate 151 is an angle bracket 152 which may be inserted through the lateral extension and is disposed in the lateral extension 129 of the recess 126 when the device is assembled. A coil spring 153 which is placed in the lateral extension 129 and bears against the angle bracket 152 biases the work supporting platform 130 in a direction away from the cylinder bed 110. Preferably the coil spring 153 is dimensioned so as to bias the work supporting platform 100 only into an intermediate position as illustrated in FIG. 6 from which intermediate position, the machine operator may at will shift the platform into fully retracted or fully extended position.

When the operator shifts the platform 130 into fully extended position as illustrated in FIG. 5, the platform 100 will completely uncover the release plate which will then be elevated by the coil springs 142. The spring strips 141 on the release plate will limit upward movement of the release plate to substantially the same level as that of the work supporting platform in which position the release plate will lock the platform in extended position. In this relationship of parts as illustrated in FIG. 5 the cylinder bed top surface 113, the work supporting platform 100 and the release plate 140 together define a continuous flat surface suitable for handling planar work pieces.

In order to convert the sewing machine casing for the accommodation of tubular work pieces, the operator need only depress the release plate 140 which will unlatch the platform 100 for movement in response to the spring 153 into the position illustrated in FIG. 6. Since the spring 153 will not shift the platform completely into retracted position, the operators fingers cannot be pinched nor will any harsh forces be developed by the platform moving abruptly into retracted position. The platform 100 will however move to overlie the release plate 140 and the platform can thereafter be shifted by the operator into fully retracted position as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 10 in which the platform overlies the supporting leg 120 and completely exposes the elongated open-ended slot 121 between the cylinder bed and the supporting leg.

It will be apparent from inspection of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 that the release plate is preferably formed with a width dimension substantially equal to the width of the space of the elongated open-ended slot 121 between the cylinder bed 110 and the supporting leg 120. When this preferred arrangement is observed, the platform 110 is in retracted position.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced substantially parallel relation to said cylinder bed, means for converting said sewing machine casing from cylinder bed to flat bed configuration comprising a retractible platform, means shiftably supporting said platform on said supporting leg for movement to an extended position projecting from said supporting leg and abutting said cylinder bed substantially co-planar with the top surface thereof and to a retracted position on said supporting leg in spaced relation to said cylinder bed, and interengaging latch means on said platform and on said sewing machine casing for sustaining said platform in said work supporting position.

2. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work-supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced relation to said cylinder bed and having a top surface substantially co-planar with the Work supporting top surface of said cylinder bed, a work supporting platform, means pivotally securing said platform on said supporting leg for turning movement from a work supporting position substantially flush with the top surface of said cylinder bed to a retracted position spaced from said cylinder bed and substantially perpendicular to the top surface of said cylinder bed, and interengaging latch means on said platform and on said sewing machine casing for sustaining said platform in said work supporting position.

3. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work-supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing and having a top surface substantially co-planar with the worksupporting top surface of said cylinder bed, said supporting leg and said cylinder bed being spaced apart defining an elongated open-ended slot between said work supporting top surfaces, a work supporting platform having a top surface and having a shape congruent with the shape of the edges of said elongated open-ended slot, means shiftably supporting said platform on said casing for movement into and out of a work supporting position spanning said elongated open-ended slot and with the top surface of said platform substantially flush with the work supporting surface of said cylinder bed, and interengaging latch means on said platform and on said sewing machine casing for sustaining said platform in said Work support ing position.

4. In a sewing machine having a casing including a pair of spaced projections, a first of said projections comprising an elongated cylinder freely projecting from said casing and having a work supporting top surface, a second of said projections comprising an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing and having a top surface substantially co-planar with the work supporting top surface of said cylinder, said projections being spaced apart defining an elongated open-ended slot between said work supporting surfaces, a Work supporting platform, means shiftably supporting said platform on one of said projections for movement into and out of a work sup porting position spanning said elongated open-ended slot with said top surface of said platform substantially coplanar with the work supporting top surface of said cylinder, and interengaging latch means on said platform and on said sewing machine casing for sustaining said platform in said work supporting position.

5. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a Work supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced relation to said cylinder bed defining an elongated openended slot therebetween, a work supporting platform having a work supporting top surface, means shiftably sup porting said platform on said supporting leg for movement into and out of an extended position spanning said elongated open-ended slot between said supporting leg and said cylinder bed, and interengaging latch means on said platform and on said cylinder bed for sustaining said platform in said extended position.

6. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work supporting surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced relation to said cylinder bed, a work supporting platform having a work supporting top surface, hinge means pivotally securing said platform on said supporting leg for turning movement into and out of a work supporting position in which the work supporting surfaces of said platform and said cylinder bed are disposed substantially coplanar, a latch bolt shiftably supported on said platform on the side opposite said work supporting surface, a latch seat formed on said cylinder bed engageable with said latch bolt for sustaining said platform in said work supporting position, an operating handle carried on said latch bolt, and a cavity formed in said support leg accommodating said latch bolt and said handle when said platform is turned out of said work supporting position.

7. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced relation to said cylinder bed, a work supporting platform having a work supporting top surface, hinge means pivotally securing said platform on said supporting leg for turning movement into and out of a work supporting position in which the work supporting top surfaces of said platform and said cylinder bed are disposed substantially co-planar, said platform being formed with a cy1indrical bore extending parallel to said work supporting surface of said platform and radially of an axis provided by said hinge means, a cylindrical latch bolt slidable in said bore and formed with an inclined latch nose, an operating handle fast on said cylindrical latch bolt, said operating handle having a flat surface abutting said platform to prevent turning of said latch bolt in said cylindrical bore, and a latch seat formed on said cylinder bed engageable with said inclined latch nose for sustaining said platform in work supporting position.

8. In a sewing machine having a casing including an elongated cylinder bed freely projecting from said casing and having a work supporting top surface, and an elongated supporting leg projecting from said casing in spaced relation to said cylinder bed, means for converting said sewing machine casing from cylinder bed to flat bed configuration comprising a work supporting platform, means constraining said work supporting platform on said sewing machine casing substantially co-planar with the work supporting top surface of said cylinder bed, means slidably supporting said work supporting platform on said sewing machine casing for movement into and out of a position spanning the space between said cylinder bed and said supporting leg, and latch means for sustaining said Work supporting platform in said spanning position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,179,770 11/1939 Wieck 11226O 2,197,599 4/ 1940 Wilson 112-260 3,188,993 6/1965 Szuba et al 112258 FOREIGN PATENTS 919,388 10/ 1954 Germany.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A CASING INCLUDING AN ELONGATED CYLINDER BED FREELY PROJECTING FROM SAID CASING AND HAVING A WORK-SUPPORTING TOP SURFACE, AND AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING LEG PROJECTING FROM SAID CASING IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID CYLINDER BED AND HAVING A TOP SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH THE WORK SUPPORTING TOP SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDER BED, A WORK SUPPORTING PLATFORM, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID PLATFORM ON SAID SUPPORTING LEG FOR TURNING MOVEMENT FROM A WORK SUPPORTING POSITION SUB- 